The Four Stages of a Jewish Wedding:-

A. The Betrothal
The betrothal is binding, can only be undone by a divorce with proper grounds, such as the bride being found not to be pure, (see Joseph and Mary - Matt 1 v18-19 ) The young man prepare a Ketubah, (Kit to bah) or marriage contract (or covenant) which he presents to the intended bride and her father. Included in this is the " Bride Price ", appropriate in Jewish society to compensate the young woman's parents for the cost of raising her so many years, as well as being an expression of his love for her.

B. Acceptance
To see if the proposal is accepted, the young man pours a cup of wine for his beloved, wait to see if she drinks. This cup represents a blood covenant. If she drink the cup means she accepts the marriage proposal, they will be betrothed. The young man give gifts to his beloved, then take his leave. The young woman wait for him to return and receive her.

C. The wedding chamber and the Chuppah (Chup-pa)
Before leaving, the young man  announce, " I am going back to prepare a place for you ", and "I will return for you, when it is ready".
 
The usual practice is for the young man to return to his father's house, and build a honeymoon room there. This is what is symbolized by the chuppah or canopy which is characteristic of Jewish weddings. He is not allowed to skimp on the work, and had to get his father's approval before he consider it ready for his bride. If asked the date of his wedding he reply, "Only my father knows." Typically it will be a year before he come back for his bride.

Meanwhile, the bride gets ready, so that she is pure and beautiful for her bridegroom. During this time she wears a veil, to show she  has been bought with a price.

D. The Wedding
When the wedding chamber is ready, the bridegroom collects his bride. Meanwhile. the bride make special arrangements. It is the custom for a bride to keep a lamp, her veil and her other things, beside her bed. Her bridesmaids are also waiting, and have to have oil ready for their lamps.

When the groom and his friends get close to the bride's house, they  give a shout and blow a shofar -  to let the bride know get ready.

When the wedding party arrive at father's house, the newly weds enter the wedding chamber - for a seven day honeymoon. The groom's bestman stand guard outside, waiting for the groom to tell him that the marriage has been consummated

Then all the friends started celebrating for the seven days that the couple are honeymooning. When the couple emerge, there is much joyful celebration and congratulation.  Then the Marriage Supper begin.

A. Betrothal pictures salvation. Like the Jewish marriage custom, the betrothal begins with a contract presented by the Bridegroom.
1. Jesus Christ is the Bridegroom. He presents to all men His contract of salvation. He pays the price. The price for the redemption of bride was His suffering and sacrifice on the Cross.
1 John 2:2 "And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world." Propitiation means full payment.

2. To Israel, God promise the coming of the Messiah and the Messiah's kingdom where Israel would be a peace and prosper. He promised them they finally have the land that he gave to Abraham that extends from the Nile river in the south to the Euphrates in the north.

3. The Gospel is God's proclamation of the this new covenant. Jesus further reveal this New Testament or covenant when He give us the Lord's Supper:

1 Corinthians 11:25 "After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me."
 
II. The Acceptance of the proposal.

A. There will be no wedding, if the bride does not respond to the offer of marriage. The bride will be offered a cup of red wine.
The young man pours a cup of wine for his prospective bride. This clearly symbolizesJesus' blood that He poured out for our sins. Once again we go to the Lord's Supper to see this truth.
Jesus said as recorded by Matthew 26:28 "For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins."
 
In other words, all the bride has to do is - accept the proposal of marriage.

B. Remember what John 3:36 said? "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
John 1:12 "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."

When a person by faith receives Jesus as their Savior, it is a picture of the bride -  accepting the proposal of the Bridegroom.

C. The Bridegroom's promise:
1. John 14:1-3 record the words spoken by the Bridegroom to His bride.
John 14:1-3 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

2. The Bridegroom goes to prepare the wedding chamber. 
 As in the Jewish wedding, the Bridegroom leaves to prepare the new home for His Bride.

3. Notice that Jesus promise to come again and receive her unto Himself, that where the Bridegroom is, so will be the bride.

4. The proposal of marriage is made to the Father, the bride accepts the proposal and officially the couple is betrothed.

We see the example of this when Joseph found out that Mary was with child.Matthew 1:19 says, " Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily." To "put her away" meant to divorce here.

Yet, in the marriage of a believer to Jesus Christ there can be no divorce, because the only grounds of divorce, which is impurity....is completely removed by Jesus Christ. The believer is forgiven of all their sins and given eternal life.

5. The Bridegroom must also have the approval of His Father, which he receives prior to making the marriage proposal.
 
The wedding chamber is built on the bridegroom's Father's house. It will be where he lives with his new bride. This being his Father's home...the Father is the one who say when the wedding chamber is ready, when the marriage will take place.
Today, the Chuppah is a canopy placed at the Father's house under which the couple stand and the marriage vows stated. It is the home that the bridegroom prepares for his bride in his father's home.

If someone asks the Bridegroom -  When is the day of the wedding ? He replies, "Only My Father knows."

IV. The Bridegroom comes for His bride.
A. At the proper time appointed by the bridegroom's Father, a messenger is sent to announce the bridegroom's coming and the bridegroom taking his wife.

B. The bride not knowing when the bridegroom will come, has to keep herselfready - at all times.

1. In Matthew 25, Jesus gave the parable of the ten virgins who are called to a marriage supper. These virgins when they heard the Bridegroom is coming will go to meet him and light the way with their lamps.
The groom, best man and all other male escorts will leave the groom's father's house and conduct a torch light procession to the home of the bride.

The groom's arrival will be preceded by a shout. This shout willforewarn the bride to be prepared, to get ready for the coming of the groom. The guests will be invited to the wedding. In the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Israel is the invited guest to the ceremony and feast.

2. Once the Bridegroom arrives, the wedding ceremony takes place. The bride will spend their honeymoon night together in the home provided by the bridegroom.

The bride will be adorned in her "wedding garments."

3. Shortly after arrival, the bride and groom will be escorted by all other members of the wedding party to the bridal chamber (chuppah).

C. Following the marriage, there will be a seven day honey moon in which the bride groom are together. At the end of seven days, the couple  emerge and the invited guests will have a "marriage supper."

Conclusion:
The marriage takes place in heaven, when Jesus takes believers to be with Him -  in the Rapture.

The marriage supper takes place after the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus. All the invited guests are Old Testament and the Tribulation saints. The marriage supper takes place in the Millennium, the one thousand year reign of the Lord Jesus on the earth.

It will be a glorious time for those who have believed and accepted the Bridegroom the Lord Jesus Christ.

What a wonderful thing it will be - to have this special relationship and place of service to the Lord throughout eternity.

Like in biblical marriage,  the wife is to be the help meet of her husband. In her special relationship, she has the privilege to serve Him. The bride is a joy to the bridegroom. She is an honor to him.

May I ask you a question? Will you be there...will you accept the Lord's proposal of salvation, thereby assure your place in heaven and experience for all eternity the blessings and inheritance of the Lord Jesus ? 

Will you allow Him to wash you white as snow, forgiving your sins and giving you eternal life ?  

Labels: Bible sharing